Search This Blog

It's A Horror Show: Hold The Dark Movie Review

Octavio Ramos Jr. is a lifelong fan of all things horror. In his teens, he began to write reviews of horror movies. Since college, he has been writing fiction in the horror genre, as well as writing reviews and commentary on every facet of horror for magazines such as Video Vista, The Zone, Horrorshow, and Albuquerque Horror Examiner. Contact him for movie reviews and interviews at octavio_christine_ramos@msn.com.

Hold the Dark: Examining the Nature of the Pack

By Octavio Ramos Jr.

The basic structure of the story goes like this: In the Alaskan wilderness, young Bailey Sloane (Beckham Crawford) is supposedly abducted by wolves. His grieving mother Medora (Riley Keough) realizes her son is likely dead, but she wants to exact revenge on the wolf that took him. To this end, she contacts Russell Core, who once tracked down such as a pack of wolves and killed them (he also wrote a book about his experience). Medora wants such revenge exacted before her husband Vernon (Alexander Skarsgard) returns from serving in Afghanistan. Medora also informs Core that her son’s abduction is the third that has happened recently, perhaps by the same wolf pack.

After spending an awkward night with Mrs. Sloane, Core sets out to track the pack of wolves, finding them after some effort. Still a bit of a greenhorn, Core exposes himself to the wolves, which at first make ready to attack. However, the alpha prevents the attack, staring down Core. It is a moment of pure fertility with an understanding of mercy, a key theme of the movie.

Upon his return to the Sloane house, Core finds that Mrs. Sloane is gone. As he searches he house, he finds Bailey dead, wrapped in plastic as if Mrs. Sloane wanted his body discovered. Mrs. Sloan is nowhere to be found, with some clothes and other items missing. Core slowly descends into a realm of darkness, where the surrounding members of an Inuit tribe hint at the supernatural, of strange rituals designed to prevent shape shifting, and the darkened nature of what it is to know evil. As Sloane continues his dizzying investigation, he comes face-to-face with what it means to be feral, the cost of freedom associated with such fertility, and the multifaceted nature of wolf instinct, including pack bonds and status within the pack.

Although told as an investigative thriller, with an emphasis on the thriller over a typical police procedural, Hold the Dark delves into the supernatural, not once using it overtly but rather taking from it subtle cues to advance the plot and symbols to create an atmospheric and disturbing superstructure.

The supernatural device is the shape-shifter, which some Intuit refer to as the “Adlet.” This creature is a result of an unnatural mating between an Inuit woman and a dog, resulting in a “werewolf.” What is interesting here is that the source novel, and the movie to a more subtle degree, hint that the Sloanes are actually twin siblings, thus Bailey is the result of an “unnatural mating.” In the movie, the creature is called a Tournaq, a wolf-demon.

It is from this kernel that the theme of wolves is explored from various angles. The Intuit living with the Sloanes have welcomed the darkened nature of Vernon Sloane, particularly the character known as Cheeon (Julian Black Antelope), a shaman who believes that Vernon has within him a wolf. To help viewers along, both Medora and Vernon don wolf masks when accessing their inner wolves, often with violent results.

One of the movie’s key sequences has Cheeon use a machinegun against a group of green police officers led by Police Chief Donald Marium (James Badge Dale). The resultant carnage yields a terrible body count, with Marium at last squatting off against Cheeon. Rather than let the police take him, Cheeon forces Marium to shoot him dead.

Although the sequence is intense and filled with tension, it does display the feral nature and pack mentality of wolves. Through dialogue and action, director Jeremy Saulnier and screenwriter Macon Blair show that Cheeon will buy time for his “pack-brother” Vernon to track down his wife before the police do. Cheeon does this violently, juxtaposing his act with the bloodstained faces of wolves eating a wolf pup to retain the feral order of things.

There are some truly stunning facets of magic realism in this movie, some of which will likely confuse viewers. One of the most precious is the movie’s end, where Vernon and Medora, having recovered the buried body of the couple’s son, make their way into the wilderness, ostensibly pursued by a pair of wolves. This sequence can be seen in one of two possible ways: (1) the wolves are coming to kill Vernon and Medora, who because of their unnatural union realize they have no place in civilization or (2) Veron and Medora are the wolves, who at last can return to their own pack waiting for them after a harrowing ordeal.

Another facet of wolf nature is that of the pack and the outside. Outsiders are dealt with one of two ways: they are violently dispatched or they are spared. When an outsider discovers the secrets held dear to the pack, they must die. Such is the case with the “old witch” Illanaq (Tantoo Cardinal), who knows that Medora has killed her own child, and Tapper John (Pete McRobbie), who knows that the Sloanes are siblings (the Sloanes’ parents came to John when the siblings were young and asked him for wolf oil to cure his “unnatural” tendencies”). Both are brutally murdered by Vernon.

The one spared is Russell Core, principally because he truly understands the nature of wolves and is unwilling to kill them after his first experience. Core is there to tell the story of the Sloane couple, and indeed at the end of the movie he prepares to just that from a hospital bed to his estranged daughter. It is a tender moment, one that demonstrates the mercy of wolf packs (Core is not savaged but rather spared by a wolf pack, so that a father and boy can save him). As Core is taken to heal in an Inuit hut filled with women, the boy turns back to core and utters, “You were spared.”

Yet another wolf characteristic is the concept of savaging, killing a younger member of the pack and devouring yet so that a wolf pack can survive during times of famine or simply to restore the order of things within a pack. When Medora calls on Core to kill the wolf that killed her son, she is speaking symbolically. She wants Core to kill her, literally at one point placing his hands around her neck to do so. When he will not do it, she yearns for Core to kill her husband (the alpha) so that she can clear up the “problem with the sky.” In the end, Core does not kill Vernon, who in turn also spares him from death, likely because Vernon knows that Core knows but also understands his unnatural state. In the end, Medora also has to accept her role in the wolf pack, demonstrating loyalty to the alpha. It is also implied that she is pregnant with another child, but that this time the couple—in leaving civilization—has at last embraced its wolf-like nature.

There are many more examples of what it is to be “wolf-kind” as a human, but I will leave those to be discovered by those intrigued by the examples I have presented.

Underscoring some of the storytelling are facets of reality that are horrifying and likely masked over by the supernatural. For example, the movie states that three kids have been taken by wolves. During the movie, careful viewers may find that likely none of the kids were taken. The Sloanes’ son was murdered by his mother, Cheeon’s daughter may have died by accidental neglect (and Cheeon ultimately commits suicide by cop), and the third kid also succumbed to the wilderness rather than by wolves. It is a disturbing idea, one better explained through wolf-demons and shape-shifters.

Another examination is the antipathy demonstrated by humans, particularly when juxtaposed with wolves. Yes, wolves can be savage, but such savagery is underscored with purpose. On the other hand, human savagery often takes the form of indifference. When Cheeon calls the police (insider vs. outside) to report his missing daughter, they show up a full daylight and take a report, providing no search parties or other follow-up actions. Such indifference is what leads Cheeon to exact revenge on the police when they at last take action with Vernon’s missing son.

Thought-provoking, provocative, and exhilarating, Hold the Dark nevertheless is a challenging film, principally because it does not rely on conventional storytelling to unravel a traditional plot with a satisfactory conclusion. Instead, the movie sprinkles hints throughout to tell an uncharacteristic tale that is neither based in the supernatural or the conventions what we call reality. Even the wolf story hinted at during the movie’s opening sequences is abandoned, only to come back later to fill in themes set forth at the begging.

It is a challenging approach, and indeed many may not have the time or inclination to unravel the puzzles that provide some answers. For those who are interested, they may find that Hold the Dark is an excellent but subtle thriller, one told in a new way that even the source novel cannot match.

Your BANGS! All Time Favorites

The land of Michigan has given the world a deluge of multiple necessities and sheer pleasures outside of what at one time was the auto industry mecca. Like its heart and soul of the blue collared working person that breeds an indelible, almost pioneer spirit, the music from here reflects its surroundings as once again this 26th state, added to the Union in January of 1837, is having a rebirth. The possibility of this land known warmly for its industrial explosion in the region of the Great Lakes is now standing at possibly a new dawn... the creation of being a strong contender for the music scene, much like Nashville is today.

With this in mind, the resonating rock and blues plus more yet to be revealed have begun with the band, Greta Van Fleet. They are poised and ready to bring the elements of rock n' roll up to the next level.

Recently bassist Sam Kiszka of Greta Van Fleet took some time out while they are on tour to give their …

Stryper
Brings Metal Stings with Their 30th Anniversary Album Celebration Tour: To
Hell With the Devil with
Song River

It
was a 'sweet' celebration Stryper brought with them everything a
30th-anniversary celebration should bring and then some! The strength
and heart as the yellow and black brought the hard rock attack back
to Arizona, as the Nile Theatre was packed with die hard fans that
came from some sort of faith background so it seemed and included a
wide age group range.

Stryper
really was the premiere heavy metal Christian rock band that came
onto the scene back in the 80's and pioneered the way and without a
doubt still brings the best of it all today. Still working with the
original lineup of vocalist Michael Sweet, drummer Robert Sweet,
bassist Timothy Gaines and guitarist Oz Fox hitting the
30th-anniversary release, 1986's album, To Hell With the Devil.
The album spoke to so many when it was released and today those fans
who fell in love with To Hell With the De…

Adam Ant at the Celebrity Theatre by H. Reavis How does one categorize a man who is one part rock star, several parts romantic highwayman, a dash of the peculiar gentleman, and a whole lot of British? One doesn’t. He must be christened and his name yelled in revered abandon: it’s Adam Ant. With a career spanning more than thirty years, the charismatic Adam has enjoyed chart success, awards (particularly the Q Music Icon Award in 2008), movie roles including Drop Dead Rock with Debbie Harry, and sold out concert performances worldwide. His music videos revolutionized the visual aid for musicians with storytelling in lieu of the standard promo. Drawing from his experience in art school his videos chronicled the adventures of his romantic pirate alter ego in “Stand and Deliver” and “Prince Charming.”

Currently in the throes of another tour called Anthems, which is a follow-up to his successful Kings of the Wild Frontier Tour, Adam, and the band are bringing his extensive singles catalog to b…

Whether it is the challenge of growing up too fast, playing in a band that he loves, flying solo, working on music projects, the loss of a loved one, or just kicking back at home musician/singer-songwriter Michael Sweet greets each day as if it were to be his first and his last. With an eagerness to say yes and come what may. His faith in God has carried him to say, "I am not a man of many regrets." Song River: Being
on tour for a band must be an almighty passion. What is it though
that most bands do when they have a 'day off' while they are out
touring? Michael Sweet: To
be honest, aside from interviews and social media, it is a day we
finally get to do our laundry! [laughed] I am so OCD about doing
laundry. You got to be the first one up if you want to get it done. Song River: Laundry
day has to be a good day! When you are on the road and away from home
what are some of the things you miss? Michael Sweet: Of
course I don't like being away from my fam…